Heavy police presence at funeral for slain gangster Craig Widdifield

Kim Bolan, Vancouver Sun05.02.2014

Mourners arrive for the funeral of Craig Widdifield at a funeral home in Surrey, May 3, 2013. Widdifield was gunned down on April 24 outside the shopping complex Morgan Crossing in what police described as a targeted hit.Richard Lam
/ PNG

A member of the Gang Unit watches as mourners arrive for the funeral of Craig Widdifield at a funeral home in Surrey, BC, May, 03, 2013. Widdifield was gunned down on April 24 outside the shopping complex Morgan Crossing in what police described as a targeted hitRichard Lam
/ PNG

Mourners arrive for the funeral of Craig Widdifield at a funeral home in Surrey, May 3, 2013. Widdifield was gunned down on April 24 outside the shopping complex Morgan Crossing in what police described as a targeted hit.Richard Lam
/ PNG

Mourners arrive for the funeral of Craig Widdifield at a funeral home in Surrey, May 3, 2013. Widdifield was gunned down on April 24 outside the shopping complex Morgan Crossing in what police described as a targeted hit.Richard Lam
/ PNG

Mourners arrive for the funeral of Craig Widdifield at a funeral home in Surrey. Widdifield was gunned down on April 24 outside the Morgan Crossing shopping complex in what police described as a targeted hit.RICHARD LAM
/ PNG

Mourners arrive for the funeral of Craig Widdifield at a funeral home in Surrey. Widdifield was gunned down on April 24 outside the Morgan Crossing shopping complex in what police described as a targeted hit.RICHARD LAM
/ PNG

Mourners arrive for the funeral of Craig Widdifield at a funeral home in Surrey. Widdifield was gunned down on April 24 outside the Morgan Crossing shopping complex in what police described as a targeted hit.RICHARD LAM
/ PNG

Mourners arrive for the funeral of Craig Widdifield at a funeral home in Surrey. Widdifield was gunned down on April 24 outside the Morgan Crossing shopping complex in what police described as a targeted hit.RICHARD LAM
/ PNG

Mourners arrive for the funeral of Craig Widdifield at a funeral home in Surrey. Widdifield was gunned down on April 24 outside the Morgan Crossing shopping complex in what police described as a targeted hit.RICHARD LAM
/ PNG

Mourners arrive for the funeral of Craig Widdifield at a funeral home in Surrey. Widdifield was gunned down on April 24 outside the Morgan Crossing shopping complex in what police described as a targeted hit.RICHARD LAM
/ PNG

Mourners arrive for the funeral of Craig Widdifield at a funeral home in Surrey. Widdifield was gunned down on April 24 outside the Morgan Crossing shopping complex in what police described as a targeted hit.RICHARD LAM
/ PNG

Mourners arrive for the funeral of Craig Widdifield at a funeral home in Surrey. Widdifield was gunned down on April 24 outside the Morgan Crossing shopping complex in what police described as a targeted hit.RICHARD LAM
/ PNG

Mourners arrive for the funeral of Craig Widdifield at a funeral home in Surrey. Widdifield was gunned down on April 24 outside the Morgan Crossing shopping complex in what police described as a targeted hit.RICHARD LAM
/ PNG

Surrey murder victim Craig Widdifield, 28, was shot dead at Morgan Crossing last week. His funeral is Friday.Photo submitted
/ for Surrey NOW

Surrey RCMP Chief Supt. Bill Fordy updates the media, April 25th, 2013 about the recent gang shooting of Craig Widdifield. Widdifield was shot at a busy residential and business complex.Ward Perrin
/ PNG

Surrey homicide victim Craig Widdifield at his wedding last October.Special to the Vancouver Sun
/ ...

Police are investigating another brazen targeted shooting that left a man dead Wednesday evening steps away from his vehicle in the parking lot of the popular Morgan Crossing mall.Submitted
/ Vancouver Sun

Police are investigating another brazen targeted shooting that left a man dead Wednesday evening steps away from his vehicle in the parking lot of the popular Morgan Crossing mall.Submitted
/ Vancouver Sun

Surrey RCMP investigator the crime scene out side Steve Nash Fitness near Granview Corners shopping plaza after a driver of a white Mercedes was gunned down in South Surrey on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Witness allege that the 23-year-old male was shot in the back of the head getting into his Mercedes SUV.Steve Bosch
/ Vancouver Sun

Surrey RCMP investigator the crime scene out side Steve Nash Fitness near Granview Corners shopping plaza after a driver of a white Mercedes was gunned down in South Surrey on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Witness allege that the 23-year-old male was shot in the back of the head getting into his Mercedes SUV.Steve Bosch
/ Vancouver Sun

Surrey RCMP investigator the crime scene out side Steve Nash Fitness near Granview Corners shopping plaza after a driver of a white Mercedes was gunned down in South Surrey on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Witness allege that the 23-year-old male was shot in the back of the head getting into his Mercedes SUV.Steve Bosch
/ Vancouver Sun

Surrey RCMP cover a body at the crime scene outside Steve Nash Fitness near Grandview Corners shopping plaza after a driver of a white Mercedes was gunned down in South Surrey on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Witness allege that the 23-year-old male was shot in the back of the head getting into his Mercedes SUV.Steve Bosch
/ Vancouver Sun

Surrey RCMP investigator the crime scene out side Steve Nash Fitness near Granview Corners shopping plaza after a driver of a white Mercedes was gunned down in South Surrey on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Witness allege that the 23-year-old male was shot in the back of the head getting into his Mercedes SUV.Steve Bosch
/ Vancouver Sun

sarah sangha tweeted this photo: #RCMP are on the scene in front of the Morgan Crossing Steve Nash club, where a man was gunned down. #vancouver@sarahsangha
/ Twitter

peter lafabre tweeted this photo: shooting at Morgan crossing. Crawling with police and an ambulance on site.@twick_or_taweet
/ Twitter

Sgt. Lindsey Houghton, of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, said “uniformed members were on scene to ensure that family and friends were able to pay their respects to Mr. Widdifield and ensure that the peace was kept.”

And he said members of the anti-gang agency were also there to keep tabs on any criminal associates who arrived.

“These events that are the result of tragic incidents do give police the opportunity to see who may show up,” Houghton said.

Widdifield’s father Jim earlier pleaded for an end to the violence in an interview with the Surrey Now.

“It’s an endless cycle. My son would not want retribution for this,” he said. “Somehow, someway, it’s got to stop.”

Widdifield, a 28-year-old who grew up in White Rock, was shot several times in front of horrified shoppers just before 7 p.m. in the Morgan Crossing complex at 15765 Croydon Drive.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has recovered two vehicles believed to have been used by the suspect or suspects to escape.

No arrests have been made and no suspect descriptions have been released.

Surrey RCMP Chief Supt. Bill Fordy said Widdifield was a well-known gangster associated to various groups who was known to be involved in the drug trade.

And he said his front line officers would be ramping up patrols of gangster hangouts across Surrey to let them know that they are “not welcome in Surrey.”

Widdifield’s family painted a different picture of him in an obituary published in The Vancouver Sun, describing him as a “kind and generous son, husband, father and friend.”

“You’ll be forever in our hearts,” it said.

Longtime friend Matthew Moore tried to go to the funeral Friday, but said he was stopped by police on the street and urged not to go inside.

“Here I am getting pulled over for having tinted windows,” he said. “I don’t know why police pulled me over with the lights and made a big scene.”

He said he was attending to give $1,500 raised through donations to Widdifield’s widow for their young son.

“I just decided to leave,” Moore said, claiming he was unnecessarily harassed.

But Houghton said officers are just doing their job when they pull people over for suspected motor vehicle violations.

“Those people who are involved and entrenched in a criminal lifestyle ... know that they are not only the under the public and media microscope, but also in the spotlight of police,” Houghton said. “And the police will, and the public expect us to, take every opportunity to conduct appropriate and legal enforcement action.”

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Heavy police presence at funeral for slain gangster Craig Widdifield

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